He’s a native of Ironton, Ohio.
Born as Robert Joseph Bare on April 7, 1935, Bobby Bare had a difficult life growing up. His mother passed away when he was only five years old. And since his father could not feed and take care of him and his two sisters, his younger sister was put up for adoption, while his older sister was sent to live with their grandparents and different relatives.
He made his first guitar.
Bare developed an early interest that he created a raw guitar out of a coffee can, a flat stick, and screen wires.
He dreamed of being Hank Williams.
“Then Hank died, and I didn’t want to be like him no more,” Bare said. Still, he tried his hand at songwriting.
He never finished his education.
Having a hard time getting along with his stepmother, Bare left home and started a little band that played on an early morning radio show.
His road to stardom started with an adventurous ride.
In 1953, Bare got an adventurous ride to California with a man who said he was friends with famous country instrumentalists. He offered Bare to introduce him to his friends in exchange for gas money. Much to Bare’s surprise, the two men were Jimmy Bryant and Speedy West – who helped him get a record deal with Capitol.
He wrote a parody of Elvis Presley while waiting to get inducted into the Army.
Bare then recorded a demo of the song “The All-American Boy,” which was released under the name of his friend. It ranked No. 2 on the Billboard chart.
He’s a family man.
In 1964, Bare married Jeannie Sterling Bare. They were blessed with a son and two daughters. The family has performed together under the act Bobby Bare and The Family.
He’s also a TV host.
From 1983 to 1988, the singer hosted The Nashville Network’s Bobby Bare and Friends on The Nashville Network. With his relaxed and carefree manner, the show was able to capture American musicians and songwriters in an intimate way. Guests included country music legends like Emmylou Harris, John Prine, Johnny Cash, and so much more.
Indeed, these facts about Bobby Bare are nearly as captivating as one country hit song.
